How we met at the first time…
by Alice. Dreamer 15
Summary: What could be if Tony and Pepper met each other earlier? Bad summary, as always... Just R


_**A/N Sorry me for my bad English.  
**_

_**How we met at the first time… **__one-shot_

_with Pepper_

Pepper lay on a couch and yawned. Virgil looked at her with surprise. "What's up with you, sweetie? I'm finally at home and today's my birthday so I mustn't give you any chance to get boredom." "Too late." Pepper smiled. "Seriously, Pep. You don't look happy. What's wrong?" "It's okay. This is your day. And I'm glad to see you're happy." Virgil sat on a couch and looked at his 7 years old daughter and called with worry. "Patricia." Pepper sighed and said: "My friends left New York on some time and there won't be anybody who is about my age. So I will miss today." Virgil frowned. Suddenly, his phone rang.

"Hello… Howard! I'm so glad to hear you…Thanks…Yeah, today at 5 pm…Ha ha ha, Howard, when had you made machine which can read someone's thoughts…Yes, of course…Bye." Virgil hung up. Pepper jumped from the couch. "Who was it?" She asked with interest. "My old friend. We became best friends when we were schoolchildren." Virgil smiled as he remembered about time when he was a child. "And he will come with his son. Tony is 7 as you, so I think that you'll get fun. But please listen me. Tony isn't an ordinary child. He is a genius, so don't pay too much attention on his strangeness." Pepper nodded and asked: "Okay dad. But what's about his personality?" "Oh…I saw him about 2 years ago but... Well...Tony is courteous, kind and shy. Ha…many people know him but in reality they see just a mask but not boy who hides behind. He is very shy. Pep, don't offend him." Pepper smiled: "I promise." Virgil hugged his daughter. "Good girl. We should hurry. Its 3 pm."

_with Tony_

"Dad, why can't you leave me at home?" Tony asked. Howard looked at his son who sat in a chair. "And what will you do? Work in a lab or die from boredom?" He approached to boy. "Tony, you can't hide at home from everybody. I know that this is a very hard time for you. But…sonny, you should think about good things. Probably, you'll be distracted from your problems." Howard smiled and put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "All will be okay. I promise. Plus you will not miss. Virgil has daughter. Patricia. She is 7 as you. Yeah, she is not genius but you're still children so you'll find a common language with each other. Don't worry." Tony looked into Howard's eyes. "I fear that something will go wrong…because of me." "I'll be with you." Tony finally surrendered.

No, he wanted to see uncle Virgil, he wanted to go with his dad. But he feared that he'll get into an awkward situation. He didn't want to blush or turn pale because of he had shyness and depression. Tony nodded. "Okay. I will go." Howard disarranged Tony's hair. "Perfectly. I'm waiting for you." And he left the room. Tony sighed and hoped that everything will be okay and his sadness won't ruin the party.

_with Pepper_

It was 5:35 pm but Howard and his son didn't appear. Virgil talked with his friends who, of course, were FBI agents: John, Arno, Mike, Sam, Julia, Hugo and Billy. Pepper, who wore her favorite green dress and white shoes, stood in front of window and was waiting. "Pepper." Virgil called. Pepper turned from the window and looked at her dad. "Yeah dad." "Do you see them?" "No" Pepper didn't have time to turn to the window when door bell rang. "Finally…" Virgil said and opened door.

"Happy Birthday Virgil!" Howard exclaimed. Virgil grinned. "Thanks. Why have you come late?" "I would tell it but you are not teacher and we aren't at school." Howard and Virgil laughed. "Hi Tony." Virgil looked at the boy. "Hello uncle Virgil. Happy Birthday." Tony said quietly. "Thank you. Let me look at you." Tony approached to Virgil.

Pepper (who hid behind a couch) finally could see him. He was lanky. His skin was very pale, so messy raven black hair seemed even darker. His cold dark blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. He wore black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, grey sneakers. "Oh, you didn't see my daughter ever... Patricia!" Pepper left her "shelter" and stood beside her dad. Now she could take a good look at him and saw something that she didn't like. Sadness... Yeah, his eyes was cold, their sparkle was dim. Dark circles under the eyes pointed to the insomnia. He tried to look happy but his fake smile indicated the opposite.

_with Tony_

"_Why? Why did I agree to go?_" Tony thought. He felt that this girl saw him through his mask and he didn't like it. Probably, Patricia understood that he couldn't begin a conversation and took the initiative. "Hi! My name is Patricia but everybody calls me Pepper or Pep because of my hair's color." She said and smiled to sad boy. "My name is Anthony but everybody calls me short, Tony." He said it calmly, didn't show his worry. "Why?" This simple question made him wish the earth could swallow him up. Tony felt that he turned pale like chalk. Howard looked at son's reaction and put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Yeah, I am. I just...want to be alone." Boy whispered. "Well, go. I'll call you later." Tony nodded and ran to the corridor.

_with Pepper_

Howard sighed. "What's up with him?" Virgil asked. Pepper just looked at Howard, then at her dad and again at Howard. She didn't know what to say. Howard turned to Pepper. "You asked "why?" The answer is simple. His mother always called him Tony." "Maria..." Virgil whispered and suddenly said: "He's still in depression after her death, yeah? But she died about year ago..." "You forgot that he spent almost whole time with his mom... Plus...Tony saw how she was killed. He has a perfect memory so he never forget it. Oh, someone said that time washes away our memories. Probably, Tony is an exception to this rule." Howard made a pause and then continued. "Don't worry, he needs some time to calm down. And then he'll join our party."

Through a few minutes everybody forgot about this incident, except Pepper. She knew how it's hard to live without mother. But she almost didn't remember her, as Tony did, so she couldn't imagine how he tries to go through this...alone. Tony still didn't come so Pepper decided to find him. She was waiting for the right moment and slipped away to the corridor.

_Girl didn't notice that two adults watched at her. Virgil turned to his best friend: "Probably, she'll be a medicine from his depression, what do you think, Howard?" "Who knows... Hope that you're right."_

Finally Pepper found Tony. Boy sat on the floor in Virgil's room and looked into the emptiness. "Hello?" Pepper called.

_with Tony_

"Hello?" Tony turned to the voice and saw redhead. "You didn't appear for a long time so I came to you." "Thanks for care but I don't need it." Tony stood up and was going to go when Pepper said: "My mom died too. I remember her not so well as you remember your mom, but I miss mom too." Boy frozen on his place, speechless. Soon he asked: "My dad told you, right?" Pepper nodded: "Tony, we can go through many things by our own. But sometimes we need help, we need to talk with someone about our problems and memories won't be so painful." Tony smiled to her. On this time his smile was sincere. "Probably, you are right." Pepper grinned. "I'm always right."

_with Howard and Virgil_

"Oh, we should call them or our "lovebirds" will be left without dessert." "Virgil! He's just seven. Plus your daughter probably couldn't help him with his state." Virgil smiled. "Howard, Howard, Howard... Who was the first person, who foresaw that Maria will be your wife?" "You." "Yeah, it was me, so believe to my feeling. And what's about the second problem, I think that he didn't run from her." "He ran from me, psychologist..." "She is like Tony, so he would listen her." Howard shrugged.

They came into the corridor when they heard the laugh. Adults went to Virgil's room and carefully opened the door. Tony and Pepper sat on a couch and spoke about something fun. "And what's happened next?" Tony asked with interest. Howard smiled because he never saw his son so happy. "And then...oh, what's happened, dad?" Children looked at Virgil and Howard. "Time to dessert." Howard said. "Okay, okay. We'll come soon." Tony and Pepper said in unison. And adults left the room.

As they closed the door Virgil smirked: "I won." "Not..." "Yet..." Howard didn't quarrel with Virgil: he didn't want to be loser again. "Who knows what will happen..."

_Present time_

"Yeah, it was the first time when we..." Tony began when Rhodey exclaimed: "What? And you didn't tell me that you knew each other!" "You didn't ask." Pepper grinned. Rhodey grumbled something and left the room. When his steps faded away, Pepper sat on a couch beside Tony and "lovebirds" started to speak about something. Howard and Virgil looked at two teens and also left them alone.

They walked to the dinner room when Virgil grinned: "I won. And you didn't believe me!" "He didn't propose marriage to her." Howard said. "Yet..." "Shut up!"

**_The end._**

**_Probably it wasn't good enough but, anyway, read and review. I need to know your opinion.  
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